Our Family Has Fallen

This fabric was never of good quality to begin with, so how could it possibly withstand a claw from the Eagle Flock? It was torn open directly, and the woman wrapped within fell out, her upper body exposed without warning.

The cloth tore further under the woman’s weight, and she was about to fall out completely.

Margaret reacted quickly. She didn’t wait for the woman to fall out completely, lifting a hand to support her while simultaneously using the remaining fabric to cover and rewrap her.

But it wasn’t over yet. Margaret instinctively drew the pistol from her waist, aimed it at him, and mimicked Laura’s cold tone.

”Don’t worry about the boss’s business. Knowing too much isn’t good for you.”

The Eagle Flock member hadn’t seen the woman in the main hall of the encampment, but a hurried glance just now revealed a black-haired woman with a blood-covered face.

Everyone knew a bit about the Eagle Tribe Leader’s affairs, and he understood that the one wrapped up was not the target of their current mission.

Faced with the dark muzzle of the gun, the man immediately stepped back to clear the way.

Laura’s cold gaze swept over him. She had been ready to strike just a moment ago.

Thankfully, they had disguised the woman somewhat. They smeared fresh blood on her face and re-wrapped the bandage on her wound, concealing it under her thick, long hair so they wouldn’t be exposed.

The two carried the ”corpse” away from the city gate, and the Eagle Flock member didn’t hesitate, plunging back into the night.

He indeed harbored his own agenda. All night-shift members of the Eagle Flock had received news that the missing Baron’s daughter might be in the city.

If he happened to capture her, he would earn great merit. Even if it wasn’t her, there was no loss, since searching was his responsibility.

The city defense force wouldn’t interfere in the Eagle Flock’s affairs—they certainly wouldn’t dare. However, they wouldn’t mind watching them argue, as it provided some amusement on this long night.

The two carried the woman a good distance from the city gate. Then, the wrapped-up woman suddenly struggled, letting out muffled ”MMPH MMPH” sounds.

”Don’t fuss, it’s us,” Laura warned coldly, then put the woman down and untied her.

The woman didn’t know what had happened. She looked at the two, then at her surroundings, and realizing she had escaped, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But the woman probably had no idea she had almost been abandoned, nor did she anticipate encountering such a perilous situation.

It was fortunate she had fainted; otherwise, whether they would have been exposed was uncertain.

Was it luck? But Laura felt as if giant hands were manipulating everything...

When she looked back at the city shrouded in darkness, a somewhat laughable thought suddenly arose in her heart. Are there really gods? Perhaps there are, perhaps not. But now that things have come to this, not even gods have a chance for regret.

She then turned to speak to the two. ”Let’s go. After tonight, the only way to survive is to reach Hamlet.”

「...」

The sky was still dim, but outside Bastia City, a considerably large troop had already gathered.

An entire armed Order of Knights, and the one leading them was none other than Bruce, the Son of Bastia.

He wore exquisite armor and held a helmet in his hand. The warhorse beneath him had to possess a Transcendent Bloodline to bear such weight in a charge.

Beside the Order of Knights was an unarmored group. This group consisted mainly of about a dozen horse-drawn carriages laden with goods. The people with them wore ordinary clothes and looked more like a merchant caravan than a military unit.

But looking at those in the caravan, it was hard to hide their status as soldiers, no matter how they tried. They were ready to don armor and take up weapons to fight when the situation demanded.

Count Bastia had prepared to feign weakness, so he couldn’t truly dispatch an army for the ransom. Therefore, an ordinary-looking team was most suitable, at least on the surface.

The plan was for the caravan to enter Hamlet and seek to ransom the person.

Of course, its more important purpose was to collect information on Hamlet. The Earl had never believed Laura’s words. If he discovered Hamlet’s vulnerability, he wouldn’t hesitate to send troops to capture it and end everything.

Bruce looked at the slightly overweight, middle-aged man before him, a strange glint in his eyes.

His father had disagreed with him taking charge of this matter. He had initially thought at least another Baron would be responsible, but he hadn’t expected this man.

What made Bruce feel strange wasn’t just that. If someone was in charge of this matter, it was likely they were the Earl’s confidant. Yet, he didn’t know this person. This indicated his father still had many things he hadn’t told him.

”Let’s move out,” Bruce said decisively. He then put on his helmet and signaled to set off.

Bruce led the Order of Knights out of the city gate, with the caravan following. After traveling some distance, they arrived at a refugee camp outside the city.

A regular army unit was stationed there to guard them. They weren’t as shabby as Ovando City’s city defense force, but these ordinary troops were just average—having the organizational level of city management was already quite good.

They were accustomed to dealing with common people, so managing refugees was more than sufficient for them.

Bruce didn’t need to handle the relevant communications; he was only the commander of this Order of Knights.

Looking through his visor, he saw the chaotic and dirty camp, teeming with countless refugees. Most were dressed in rags, their faces gaunt. Their expressions were vacant, and their movements were as stiff as if they were lumps of wood.